DTE crews go house to house looking for gas leaks this winter

FOX 2 - During the winter months DTE Energy crews are going from home to home looking for gas leaks - their big goal is to keep you safe.

On Tuesday afternoon DTE crews went to Collingham Drive and Mohican Avenue on Detroit's east side with equipment in hand checking meters and gas lines. They are trying to find gas leaks - before they become a big problem.

"It's cold out so our furnaces and everything are using gas so it allows more gas to be flowing through the system, which will increase the likelihood of us being able to identify any leaks throughout the system," said Adam Ray, DTE principal supervisor for gas leak surveys.

Ray says during these inspections crews find leaks daily and mother nature is often one of the culprits.

"A lot of times it's going to be related to the really cold weather, frost in the ground can make it move a little bit, age and infrastructure plays a role in that," he said. "And another big one, that our customers can help with, is through excavating and digging."

During the program, which starts in January and goes for the next several months, crews will inspect 230,000 meters in southeast Michigan along with 220,000 in the greater Michigan area.

"We are looking for any abnormal operating conditions - those will be things like meters not attached to the house," Ray said. "The first and foremost is around safety, so we will perform a visual inspection as well as for any type of corrosion on the meter."

And while crews often have to bundle up, they aren't thinking about the cold or the wind, they are focused on finding gas leaks and keeping customers safe.

"Making sure we are going to every house, every church, every school, every hospital, and doing everything we can to operate safely," said Ray.